Egg separator



Oct. 16, 1962 H. c. KIRKLAND 3,058,501

EGG SEPARATOR Filed NOV. 8, 1960 FIG.I

INVENTOR. HELEN C. KIRKLAND A TTORN E Y United States Patent O 3,058,501 EGG SEPARA'IUR Helen C. Kirlrland, 2019 Kirkland St., West Celurnbia, S.C. Filed Nov. S, 1960, SEI. N0. 67,939 2 Clairns. (Cl. 146-2) The present invention relates to an egg separating device for separating the whites of eggs frorn egg yolks.

A prirnary object ef the invention is te provide a manually eperated egg separater, prirnarily fer use in the home, and adapted te be ecenomically censtructed and highly efficient in eperatien.

A further ebject ef the inventien is te previde an eg separater which Will allew the egg white to be quickly and clearly separated frern the yelk, without fear ef punctun'ng the yelk sack.

Another objeet is to previde an egg separater ef the abeve-rnentiened eharacter having rneans te assure complete separatien ef the egg white and yolk, and complete drainage ef the White inte an underlying receptacle er the like.

A further ebject is to provide an egg separater embedying a minimum number cf simplified parts which are permanently connected so as net te becorne lest er separated, the device being readily eperable with ene band and being easy te maintain in a clean er sanitary cenditien.

A further and more specifie ebject ef the inventien is to provide an egg separater having a piveted yelk elevating cup and resilient means te nermally hold the cup seated upon the main receptacle bedy portien ef the device.

Other ebjects and advantages ef the invention Will be apparent during the ceurse ef the fellewing description.

In the accernpanying drawings forming a part ef (bis applicatien and in which like numerals are empleyed te designate like parts throughout the sarne,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an egg separater embodying the inventien,

FIGURE 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectien through the same,

FIGURE 3 is a sirnilar sectien shewing the yelk cup in the active er elevated pesitien,

FIGURE 4 is a plan view ef the egg separater,

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectien taken en line 55 ef FIGURE 2.

In the drawings, wherein for the pur-pese of illustration is shown a -preferred embodirnent of the inventien, the numeral designates generally a main receptacle er body pertion Which is substantially cylindrical and open at its top, and including a dewnwardly cenically tapering bettem Wall 11, as shown. The main receptacle 10 may be relatively shallew for cempactness, and the bettern Wall 11 has a central circular opening 12 formed therethrough, surrounded by a relatively narrew downwardly struck annular marginal flange 13, ferming a seat fer a yolk cup te be described.

The main receptacle 10 is secured te and bedily carried by a suppert frame 14 which may be cenveniently forrned from a single section of sheet metal er the like, and including cempanien identical sides, as shown in the drawings. The suppert frame 14 cernprises oppesed intermecliate substantially -sernicircular band po1 tiens 15, surrounding opposite sides of the main receptacle 10 snugly near the tep thereof, and preferably seated within a shallew annular greeve er recess 16 ferrned in the upper pertien of the main receptacle during its fabrication. The main receptacle 10, and in fact all majer compenents ef the device, are well adaptecl to be ferrned ef sheet metal, such as sheet alurninum er the like. Hew- 3,05%501 Pa1ented @ct. 16, 1962 lce ever, it is desired net te lirnit the invention te the useof any particular material, and it sheuld be understeod that the egg separater may be censtructed frern ether suitable materials, such as certain plastics material and the like.

The suppert frame 14 further cernprises ferward spaced parallel arm extensiens 17, integral with the band pertiens 15 and extending radially ferwarclly ef the main receptacle 10 for a substantial distance. The lewer longitudinal edges ef the extensiens 17 are preferably netched at 18 facilitate resting the egg separater upen the rirn of a conventional mixing bewl, saucepan er the like. The suppert frame 14 further cemprises rear spaced parallel elengated extensiens 19, cennected at their euter ende by an integral bight portion 20. The extensions 19 preject radially of the main receptaele 10 in longitudinal alignrnent with the ferward extensiens 17 and are also integral With the band pertiens 15 surrounding and helding the receptacle 10. The extensiens 19 are preferably netched in their lewer longitudinal edges at 21, for the purpose already described in cennection with the 1erward extensions 17. The spaced extensiens 19 and bight pertien 20 are adapted te serve a-s a handle fer the egg Separater as Will be further described hereinafter.

The spaced parallel extensions 17 and 19 are cennected rigidly by rivets 22 er the like, spaced apart as shown in the drawings, and carrying spacer sleeves 23 thereen between the extensiens 17 and 19. The arrangernent is such that When the extensions 17 and 19 are cormected by the rivets er like fastener elements, the band sectiens 15 are drawn tightly areund the main receptacle 10 te hold the sarne snugly and to prevent relative movernent between the receptacle 10 and support frarne 14. A pair ef the rivets 22 are dispesed relatively clese te the an nular side Wall ef the receptacle 10, as shown, te assure snug engagernent ef the band sectiens 15 therewith.

A substantially hernispherical egg yelk elevating er separating cup 24 is previded, epen at its top and provided semewhat below its tep annular edge 25 with an eutstruck annular bead 26, integral therewith and adapted te engage the annular seat 13 in a substantially fluid tight -manner. The yelk cup 24 below the bead 26 is engageable through the epening 12 and below such opening, as shown in FIGURE 2. When the bead 26 is seated against the seat 13, the tep edge 25 ef the yelk cup prejects slightly abeve the bettem Wall 11 ef main receptacle 10 as shown in FIGURE 2. The majer per tion elf the yolk cup 24 in the clesed er seated positien, FIGURE 2, prejects bedily below the main receptacle 10, as shown.

The yolk cup 24 is secured rigidly te a relatively leng underslung arm er lever 27 of laterally narrew censtruction and preferably fermed of sheet metal. The lever 27 has a forward shert inclined pertion 28 secured directly te the eup 24 and extending radially dewnwardly therefrem at ene side theree-f. An upwardly inclined angular portien 29 is secured integrally te the portien 28 and extends rearwardly thereof te a more steeply inclined generally vertical pertien 30, likewise formed integral therewith. The steeply inclined lever pertien 30 extends between the handle extensions 19', sornewhat rearwardly of the main receptacle 10 and is pivetally Inounted for vertical swinging mevement upon a rivet 31, er the like, spaced rearwardly frern the adjacent rivet 22 and spanning the extensiens 19 tranversely and rigidly secured therete.

The tep end ef the steeply inclined lever portien 30 has rigidly secured therete a generally horizontal handle extensien 32, which rnay be fermed ef plastics material, Weed er the like, shaped and colored as desired te render the device attractive to the eye. If preferred, the handle u extension 32 may be formed of sheet metal and may in fact be integral With the lever 27 and merely formed by twisting the handle portion at the top o-f the lever portion 30 so as to lie in a plane at right angles -thereto.- The handle extension 32 of the lever 27 directly overlies the handle extensions 19, as shown, so that the user of the egg separator may grip the handle extensions 19 and 32 for operating the device With one band above a saucepan or bowl if desired.

The yolk cup 24 is resiliently urged downwardly into seating engagement With the hottom of =the main receptacle 10 by a torsion spring 33 having coils surrounding the rivet 31 on opposite sides of the lever 27 as best shown in FIGURE 5. Forward arm extensions 34 of the spring 33 engage under the adjacent rivet 22, and rear arm extensions 35 of the spring 33 engage over the forward longitudinal edge of the lever ortion 30 as shown in the drawings. The spring 33 is tensioned t urge the lever 27 and yolk cup 24 downwardly toward the position shown in FIGURE 2 as stated.

The lever 27 is shaped so that when the handle extension 32 is swung downwardly toward the extensions 19 and against the force of the spring 33, the yolk cup 24 may be elevated to approximately t-he osition shown in FIGURE 3, wherein the entire yolk cup is disposed bodily above The lower Wall 11 of main receptacle and the top edge 25 of the yolk cup is considerably inclined, FIGURE 3. In such position, the lever ortion 28 extends upwardly through the bottom opening 12, and the lever ortion 29 lies relatively close to tl1e bottom Wall 11 and approximately parallel thereto as shown in FIGURE 3. The shape of the lever 27 allows an adequate swing or movement for tl1e cup 24 With0ut rendering the device bulky or awkward. When the handle extension 32 is released the spring 33 returns the lever 27 and yo k cup 24 automatically to the position shown in FIGURE 2.

In use, the support frame 14 may rest directly upon the rim of a bowl or saucepan, as stated, and in which case the notches 18 and 21 Will serve to position the device fixedly thereon. lf preferred, the egg separator may be bodily held in 0ne band above a bowl or saucepan as previously indicated.

In either case, the operation of the device for separating eggs is as follows. The whole raw egg, after breaking, is dropped gently into the main receptacle 10, While the yolk cup 24 is in the seated position shown in FIGURE 2. The egg yolk is preferably placed o1 dropped directly into the cup 24, Whic-h is of a proper size to accornmodate the yolk of any normal size egg. The cup 24 Will not accommodate :the liquid egg white or any substantial portion thereof, and the egg White will rest upon the bottom Wall 11 of the main receptacle The handle extension 32 is now depressed by the operator, and the yolk cup 24 is elevated to the osition -shown in FIGURE 3 for eflectively separating the yolk Within it from the egg white in the main receptaclo. The upper edge 25 of the yolk cup allows quick and clean separation of the yolk from the egg white when the cup 24 is elevated. The inclination of the upper edge of the cup 24, shown clearly in FIGURE 3, causes any egg white remaining in the cup 24 to drain therefrom to complete the separation of the egg yolk and white. When the cup 24 is thus elevated, all of the egg white will readily drain from the main receptacle 10 through the bottom opening 12 and into the underlyin-g bowl or saucepan, as should -be obvious.

Due to the thinness of the lever 27 and the side radial disposition of the lever portion 28, there is little er n0 tendency for the egg white to stick or bang up on the lever portion 28, and all of tl1e egg white Will tend to drain readily into the underlying bowl. The separated egg yolk in the cup 24 may now be readily emptied into a jar or receptacle or placed aside in any desired manner apart frorn the egg white.

When the handle extension 32 is again released, the yolk cup 24 returns automatically to its position shown in FIGURE 2, and the device is ready for further use for separating the yolks and whites of additional eggs.

When used as described, the device cleanly and efficiently separates egg yolks and whites in a rapid manner and without the likelihood of puncturing the egg yolks.

As shown in the drawings, the egg separator is sub stantially free of sharp corners or crevices which Would be likely to collect dirt, and the entire d'evice may l e easily cleaned under running water or the like.

lt is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spin't of the invention 01' scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I clairn:

l. An egg separater device comprising a -rnain relatively large diameter and relatively shallow su-bstantially cylindrical open top receptacle having a downwardly conically tapering generally horizontal bottom wall provided With a central relatively small diameter drain opening, a support for said receptacle carrying the same and adapted to rast upon the rim of an underlying bowl or the like, said Support embracing the receptacle and having a pair of arms extending horizontally and radially beyond diametrically opposite sides 0f the receptacle for substantial distances, a lever of substantial length pivoted to and crossing one of said arrns at a point spaced radially of the receptacle and extending above said arm and having a depressible substantially horizontal handle portion overlying said arm, said lever includi-ng a hottom portion generally parallel to said handle ortion and underlying the bottom wall of the receptacle radially thereof, said bottom portion terminating in a short upturned portion engageable movably within said drain opening, an approximately hemispherical egg yolk cup secured to the top of said npturned portion and bodily carried thereby and adapted to be elevated by said lever bodily above the drain opening and Within the receptacle when said handle portion is depressed toward said arm, and a spring counected With said lever and said arm and yieldingly urging said lever and cup downwardly, said cup provided near its top with an annular bead adapted for sealing engagement With said bottom Wall about said drain -opening when said lever is in a lowerrnost position nnder influence of said spring, said cup then disposed substantially bodily helow said drain opening.

2. The invention according to claim 1 and wherein said support is a unitary structure including opposed approximately semi-circular band sections which surround said receptacle circumferentially and said arms of the support include spaced parallel arm sections integral with said band sections, said lever pivoted to said arm extending between said sections of said arm. 4

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,409649 Becker Mar. 14, 1922 1,744665 Neu=bert Jan. 21, 1930 2720232 Dnton Oct. ll 1955 

